Baltimore, MD

In an area of the country where catching crabs is a good thing, Baltimore's Chesapeake Bay blue hard shell crabs provide a tasty and fun meal for locals and tourists alike. Never mind the soft shell version, which is the same crab plucked from the sea before it can grow (molt) a new and larger hard cover. The real fun occurs while the ornery crustacean remains in its rigid form. Diners are encouraged to don a bib, utilize a mallet, eat with their hands, and make a mess, high-chairs are optional. And for those interested in a more unique preparation, local restaurants in this crabby harbor go overboard with options such as steamed crab, crab cakes, crab soup, deviled crab, grilled crab, crab omelet-we could go on. If you cannot find a crab dish to enjoy in Baltimore, then forget it, you're never going to fancy eating the cranky salt water critter.

Come to think of it, exercising and cracking crab have something in common - they both take an awful lot of work for a little bit of result.